Theme: Compassionate Father
Text: Luke 15:11-32
The Lord is good! His love endures forever!!
I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is an immense joy for us to meditate the Word of God Sundays after Sundays. The topic for this Sunday meditation is “A Compassionate Father” based on the Gospel of Luke 15:11-32. “HAPPY FATHERS’ DAY” to all Fathers.
Gospel writers present Jesus Christ as the BEST TEACHER ever lived on the earth. Jesus communicated the credible insights of the Kingdom of God using Parables and stories for quick understanding and easing gripping. Jesus Christ explained the valuable and amazing Love and Compassion of God through many Parables. This parable was traditionally titled as ‘Parable of the Prodigal Son’ or ‘Parable of the Lost Son’. But, I would like to title it as ‘A Compassionate Father.’
This parable is the continuation of the other two parables narrated by Jesus Christ in this chapter. The first one talks about the loss of one Lamb out of 100 (Luke 14:3-7), the second one talks about the loss of one silver coin out of 10 (Luke 15:8-10), this parable talks about the loss of one Son out of two. The loss of a Lamb was wretched, the loss of a Coin was impoverishment, but the loss of a Son is an everlasting separation. In these parables, values are added one after the other in the ascending order according to ancient traditions, the parables begin with a lamb, progress to a Silver coin and finally ends with a SON.
Jesus narrated these three Parables of losses and regains; in the first Parable Shepherd went out and found the Lost Lamb, in the second parable the woman searches in her own house and found her lost Coin. Then in the last Parable, the Lost Son had responded to the available resources and seized the opportunity to reach his Father.
Let us mediate the following three characteristics from this Parable:
1. A Compassionate and Reaching Father
2. A Careless but Repented Younger Son
3. A Complacent and Revolted Older Son
We have to observe a few words in this Parable as noteworthy for our spiritual life: v.13 – squandered with loose living. V.17- when he came to his senses. V.20 ran, felt compassion, embraced and kissed him. V.24 – dead and alive, lost and found. V.32 dead and has begun to live, lost has been found.
Firstly
1. A COMPASSIONATE AND REACHING FATHER
Jesus talked about three men in this parable – Father, Older Son and the Younger Son. The Older Son seemed to be very silent, obedient and doing the work of his father. The younger son was portrayed as disobedient, disrespectful for his father’s love and also the intrinsic value of his older brother.
The father in this parable pictured as a very loving, deeply compassionate father (Luke 15:20) with respecter of no persons. The father in this parable had honoured the request of his younger son. He had seen helplessly and painfully the rebellion of his younger Son departing from him one fine day. For many days, father waited patiently and compassionately for his lost Son to return home. The eyes of the father were kept looking day and night upon the way his son left home.
One day, his lost Son returned home with DISFIGURED FORM. Yet, the father recognised him even when he saw his lost son afar off, he ran to him with love and compassion; he hugged and embraced him, and he brought him home and celebrated the return of his lost son. He uttered a very excellent way: ‘for the Son of mine has come, he was dead and come to life again; he was lost and has been found’ (Luke 15:24).
Jesus Christ told this story not only to pinpoint the Love and Compassion of God but also the value of each soul. Jesus taught the TRUTH that all those who live in Sin are dead. All those are without Christ is dead. God is always waiting for the human race to come back to their original state of life. His faithfulness and mercy are fresh and new every morning. His outstretched arms are unfolded to receive us with gladness and joy.
Unbelieving and rational Readers and hearers ask the following questions: Why Father was silent when he heard his younger SON demanded dividend? Why Father parted his property with his younger son knowing that he is going to leave him and live according to his plan? These questions are questions related to the foreknowledge of God.
One thing, we must understand through this Parable:
God allows us to freely exercise our freewill according to our intelligentsia and have our experimental with it. Father did not play the role of a taskmaster or a ruler. He lets his Son go. The younger Son utilised the freedom to plan his own life and its course without consulting his Father. He never sought the advice and counsel of his Father. He behaved rough and rude. But Father allowed him to exercise his freedom to the end. We worship a God who gave us his image and likeness as well as freewill.
But the Love and Compassion of God reach us every day, he looks at us because we belong to him so he longs for our homecoming with passionate love, parental love. We are precious to him. Return of every soul, repentance of every sinner is a joyous occasion in the presence of God. Jesus repeated these words again and again: Luke 15:7,10, 23, and 32. Father was reaching the lost Son as soon as he saw him afar off. The narration is very excellent in Luke 15:20: “He was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him”.
Our behaviour and attitude can never change God’s love and compassion toward us. God is always compassionate. He said to Moses: (Read) Exodus 34:6-7 then he uttered: “I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (Exodus 33:19, Romans 9:15), Nehemiah and David mention the ‘great compassion of God’ (Nehemiah 9:19, Psalm 51:1). David says ‘He crowns you with love and compassion’ (Psalm 103:4). He has compassion as a Father has compassion on his Children (Psalm 103:13).
Gospel writers, again and again, record that ‘whenever Jesus saw the crowd he had compassion or moved with compassion’ (Matthew 9:36 James 5:11). The love of God the Father is poured upon all. The lord is full of compassion and mercy; the love of God is expressed as ‘Reaching Love’ in John 3:16 “For God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).
In this Parable, the Father reaching the Lost Son is beautifully worded: Father ‘threw his arms and kissed his Son’ the Original grammar indicates, “Father repeatedly Kissed his Son” (enduringword.com), “Father fervently kissed his Son” (Bullinger’s Companion Bible Notes).
Matthew Henry comments on this verse as Mercy verse:
‘His father saw him’ Here are eyes of mercy.
‘And felt compassion for him’ Here are bowels of mercy.
‘And ran’ Here are feet of mercy.
‘And embraced him’ Here are arms of mercy.
‘And kissed him’ Here are lips of mercy.”
So this verse is full of the Mercy and Compassion of the Father. It was all mercy from first to the last.
Yes, it’s very natural to kiss a beloved person repeatedly after seeing such a person after a long gap. These are natural actions beyond expressions.
Can’t you understand that our Lord Jesus Christ comes to us with such a wonderful Love and Compassion? He longs for your prayers, your devotions. Don’t you understand the Love of Father is incomparable in this world? If we come back to God, he will restore us and make us glad. The Parable talks about the Joy of the Lost Son and the status of the lost was restored.
Let’s run to God for peace and joy.
Secondly
2. A CARELESS AND REPENTED Younger SON
Jesus told in this Parable the younger Son demanded his father to part away from his share of the estate. He took all he had and gone to a far country. There he squandered his wealth in wild living. Subsequently, he emptied his wallet without proper planning and budgeting. He had no idea of stewardship and accountability. A day came; he stood lonely as a vagabond. No money on hand, no and no one to feed on him. Unfortunately, there was a severe famine in that country. So, he was searching for a job.
Finally, he ended up as a hired servant to take care of the fields and to feed the Pigs. He was starving to death, it seems that he had very little to eat and that too at particular times. So he was longing to fill his stomach with the Pods that the Pigs were eating. Now, He came to his senses (Luke 15:12-17). That means, he was living a senseless, useless and futile life. Always the Life of a sinful is futile and leads to frail.
In Fact, the younger son was not happy with his Father’s government, discipline and meritorious life. He took the wrong decision and went far away from his father. He was living in a sinful state with distance from God, wasting life and its resources, wandering for peace and prosperity, starving and dying physically, disturbed mentally and unemancipated emotionally. That hour made him look back the Love of his Father and the majesty of his home. So, he decided to get back home. His sense was so strong to understand his present plight and the greatness of his father’s home. He realised his permanently lost rank at home. He humbled himself and willing to be a hired servant at home. So, he got up and went to his father (Luke 15:20).
Independency gives good mood and freedom of choice and liberty to live as we think but it ultimately leads to irreparable damage of self-image and identity. His three-fold calamities of “squandered living”, “Severe Famine” and “starvation to death” made him realise the Love, care, and compassion of his father. He longed to be part of his great family and wanted to enjoy the blessings of his Father’s house.
This parable is a picture of a wicked generation. Life away from God is ragged and pitiable condition forever. If you and I deny Christ and embrace the world, if we leave the fellowship of believers initially it brings joy but finally gulped permanently with downstream. Bible has many examples of people who used their free will and ended up in confusion, failures, and even collapse.
Lot did not consult God before choosing the lands of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 13:10-11).
Balaam consulted but unwilling to obey the will of God (Numbers 22:12, 20, 33, 35).
Joshua and his comrades did not consult God before making a covenant with Gibeonites (Joshua 9:14).
Elimelech did not consult God before going to Moab where he died and his two sons had died (Ruth 1:1) resulted in three widows in a house without direction and future.
David did not consult God before taking a census of the Israelites. So, David ended up in the great loss of lives (2 Samuel 24:1, 12). We read in the book of Judges that men did what was right in their eyes (Judges 21:25).
That’s why in Psalm 32:8 we read “I will instruct you the way you should go”.
Isaiah 31:21 says, “whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Only God knows the way to wisdom and understanding and meaningful life.
The Younger Son is an example of all those who want to misuse their freedom, time and opportunities. Once, he was full but now became empty. Life without Christ is empty even if you everything. So his emptiness and loneliness made him go back and confess to his father telling, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and you…” The careless Son immediately realised his mistake, he came to his senses (Luke 15:17). He told within himself: “I will rise, I will go, I will confess”.
Repentance is a journey and not an emotion or impulse. It’s not a thought but an action. It is very important to have self-assessment where we stand. He went to the Father and enjoyed the celebration with father’s servants (Luke 15:18-20). Repentance restores our life with God, our status in the Kingdom of God and our joy is restored for everlasting. His sinful life was a called life of death (Luke 15:32). The dead people can’t praise God; the dead people can’t worry about others, and death has no feelings, no senses. The younger son was living a useless and meaningless life.
The repentance brought unexpected gifts from his father. These gifts are significant. They represent various aspects of the blessed life of repentance. Father gave him the best robe, a ring and sandals (Luke 15:22). The robe is an emblem of character, his rags are stripped off, and he has clothed anew in a dress of honour. He was justified and sanctified. The ring is an ornament to the hand a token of wealth, position, and honour and delegated authority. The shoes refer to the journey ahead in life with the gospel of peace.
Alexander MacLaren comments: “So God gives His prodigals, when they come back, an elevation which unforgiven beings do not reach, and sets them to represent Him, and arrays them in strange beauty.” Why we are different from others because we realised the consequences of SIN and the Eternal Life in Christ. Friends, if you have not experienced this joy of Salvation. Come to Christ, confess all sins. He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Thirdly
3. A COMPLACENT AND REVOLTED OLDER SON – Luke 15:25-32
The Older Son was a solid grave youth, reserved and austere, sober himself, but not at all good-humoured to those about him; such a one would adhere to his education, and not be easily drawn from it. He was complacent, jealousy and murmuring. He never enjoyed the full goodness and revelation of the Father though he was nearer to him; the full benefit of the house though he lived in that house; and he was not familiar with the full grace and compassion of his Father. He had everything but enjoyed nothing. He had fullness in the house but emptiness within himself.
The celebration at home annoyed the Older son, he was not happy the way his father treated his younger brother who was useless and worthless according to his evaluation and valuation. He thought, he was a man of integrity, more lovable, worthy of honour and must be valued and honoured. The generosity of the father irritated the older son. The same way the generosity, greatness, goodness of God toward others that too who are against us is irritating. How often we fail to exhibit the generosity of God. The real face of people is revealed during the dark period of their life. The reality comes out when our equals are honoured, praised, appreciated and given prominence.
The Older Son represents the Pharisees and people of religiosity. They were professedly religious and not from heart and soul. So, repentance of Sinners brought Joy to Jesus, Angels, Father in Heaven and all those who love the Kingdom of God except Pharisees, and Jewish Leaders. Here, the non-acceptance of the repented younger brother by Older brother is the best example of many believers in today’s Christendom; because of this Church suffers, ministries are divided, and the organisations are halted. Rejection of one another leads an organisation leads to split and fruitless exercises. They failed to appreciate one another, failed to value people leads to a permanent disability of a Church.
Here, the Older Son expressed his haughty heart to his father how he never misused the properties and privileges of his father. The sad part is even he never used the benefits of the properties and the mercies of his father. Self exaltations and self-righteousness of the believers tampers the ministry and holds us from advancing the Gospel.
Matt Skinner in his article on this Parable observes: the behaviours of the Older Son refused to enter in, even after his Father pleaded him. Further, we read, the Older Son did not address his Father as “Father” and his brother as “my brother” instead he replied his father with rude behaviour, he says with a word “Look” and he said about his brother as “this son of yours” in Luke 15: 29-30. His refusal to celebrate stems from his deep resentment (workingpreacher.org).
The depiction of the entreating father is the desire and effort of God to win the proud, exclusive, self-righteous people of NT age (the behaviours of Pharisees are found in Luke 13:34, Acts 13:44-46, 28:22-28). The Jews shut the doors of salvation to other nations. The present believers and leaders shut the doors of grace to non-believers because of the arrogance and fighting spirit within. How often we feel that the Keys of Heaven and hell is only with us. We neither understood the power of God nor the provision of God.
The Older son never entered into the court of his Father, he never participated in the celebration. Our story should not end like this in the judgement. Schaff’s Popular Commentary on NT: All of us are represented by one or the other of those two sons as long as we remain in Sin of any kind. Both were offenders, yet the Father calls both sons with outstretched arms.
Conclusion:
Where do I stand? With whom I am identified? Am I a careless Son or an arrogant Son? Once again remember the Compassionate and reaching Father in the light of a Careless younger Son and a Complacent Older Son. God help us to live a comfortable life in Christ. Amen.
